With its 131 feet 3 inch wingspan and an all-up-weight of 44.672lb, design of the six 450hp Napier Lion-powered Tarrant Tabor began in the latter stages of World War I. It was intended to carry a 1,500lb bombload to Berlin from an English airfield. Estimated to have had a top level speed of 110mph, F 1765, the sole example of the Tabor built, was readied for its maiden flight from the Royal Aircraft Establishment at Farnborough on 26 May, 1919. The pilot and co-pilot selected to make the flight were Captains F.G. Dunn and P.T. Rawlings. For whatever reason, it was decided that the first take-off run would be attempted with only the lower four engines at full throttle. However, as the colossal machine rolled across the airfield, the pilots brought both of the upper engines to full power, causing the aircraft to nose over into the ground and to inflict fatal injuries on both men.

Powered with six 450-h.p. Napier Lion engines in place of six 600-h.p. Siddeley Tigers as originally planned, the only Tabor completed, F1765, is here shown outside "e" Balloon Shed, Farnborough, before its fateful attempt to fly.